Meaning and Import of "sthirata nahi" Song

Translating this classic song into English is not easy. I’ve to search and look around for the right word to communicate correctly what the great composer meant exactly. Foremost I humbly bow to my guru and parents. I offer heaps of tree Jasmine (Millingtonia hortensis) flowers at their feet.

O (hapless) mind! How can you get steadiness? There is no way out of distractions. There is no peace. (No easy way out to get peace in life.) 

1. In the mundane world, we humans will come across three principal sources of despair or anxiety. We cannot easily get over them or avoid them, however best we may try. They’ll singe and sear our hearts. These are: a) afflictions (problems) related to the physical (i.e., biological) corporeal body. b) Problems due to the five (earth, fire, wind, water, and sky) material elements. c) Problems that are caused by fate (karma), curse, or an act of ‘devata’. So, the accumulated pain caused by these three types of “burning fire” is limitless like an ocean. If by mistake we let ourselves (or forced into) into this ocean, then there is no chance for tranquility. In such situations the mind cannot stay alert and be steady; like a lamp in stormy wind it waves and flickers violently. Further what happens if we add two more elements like pride and ego? Now it is impossible for the mind to get any peace or be steady with courage in such terrible situation. Instances like losing a tooth or getting stuck in a tornado/cyclone do happen in real life. Similarly getting involved in crippling road accidents or drowning in fast moving streams is also a fact of life. 

2. Objects enter into our consciousness through sound, touch, form (shape), taste, and smell (olfactory sense). Such objects (or things) wrap around human consciousness (mind) like powerful ropes or (unbreakable) shackles. O mind, how can such people with entanglements have any tranquility? In such circumstances, how can the mind be calm and steady to focus on prayer, meditation, or any worthwhile endeavor?

What is unnatural or perverse wisdom (cleverness)? Mistaking what is real to be false and believing some thing inherently unreal as real – that is indeed strange; the composer is gently hinting us the core problem. Identifying oneself with the physical body and not recognizing the ‘self’ as the real ‘oneself’ – that is the major blunder in our thinking. We also refer the ‘core self’ as ‘atma’. So, with such distorted thinking, how can we ever have any peace in life? How can the mind find any grip and steadiness in its pursuit? How can it focus?

3. Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra’s Swami’s guru was (is) Sri Parama Sivendra Saraswati (1539 – 1586 A.D.). The last stanza says thus: For those who discard (eschew) the yogic path of Paramahamsa Sivendra Swami, there is no respite in life here on the earth. However great they may be, the earthly carnal pleasures (borne out of the senses) are fleeting; there is no permanence to them. We have such powerful stories like Pururuva and Urvasi. Or, consider the story of Ahalya (wife of king Pradyumna) and Indra (from Yoga Vasistham as expounded by Sri Shanmukha Sarma). So, if one is entrapped in such transient pleasures there will not be peace. O mind, be watchful for such missteps and dangerous slippery path. In that path, O mind, you’ll not find peace or steadiness. Listen to the guru’s (here it refers to the afore mentioned esteemed Sri Sivendra Swami of Kanchi Mutt) gentle advice in these difficult complex matters.  (The complete lyrics were given in the previous post here) Copyright 2023 by the author

 

Lyrics of "sthirata nahi nahire" Song

(It is superfluous to say that this is a composition of Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Swamy. Earlier I've given here several of his exquisite Sanskrit compositions. Alas, the times are unsettling now all across the world. This song may give peace and steadiness to a wavering, doubting mind. We will look into its profound meaning and import for the sadhaka. This great saint, nay an avadhuta bestowed these great lyrics for our benefit, out of pure compassion. The southern India (particularly the erstwhile composite Telugu and Tamil lands) is blessed to have given birth to such extraordinary humans. Here is a student who excelled the teacher, the guru. Dr. Balamuralikrishna's rendition link: https://youtu.be/EjqBDMc2cAs Dr. Balamuralikrishna's voice )

ధనాసరీ రాగః   ఆది తాళము 

స్ధిరతా నహి నహిరే - మానస

స్థిరతా సహి సహిరే

1. తాపత్రయ సాగర మగ్నానాం

దర్పాహంకార విలగ్నానామ్ ‌||స్థిరతా||

2. విషయపాశ వేష్టిత చిత్తానాం

విపరీతజ్ఞాన విమత్తానామ్ ‌||స్థిరతా||

3. పరమహంసయోగ  విరుద్ధానాం

బహు చఞ్చలతర సుఖ సిద్ధానామ్‌ ||స్థిరతా||

स्थिरता नहि नहिरे - मानस 

1. तापत्रय सागर मग्नानां 

दर्पाहन्कार विलग्नानां 

2. विषय पाश वेष्टित चित्तानां 

विपरीत ज्ञान विमत्तानां 

3. परमहंस योग विरुद्धानां 

बहु चन्चलतर सुख सिद्धानां 

sthirataa nahi nahirae - maanasa

sthirataa sahi sahirae

1. taanatrayasaagara magnaanaaM

darpaahaMkaara vilagnaanaam^|| sthirataa||

2. vishayapaaSa vaeshTita chittaanaaM

vipareetaj~naana vimattaanaam^|| sthirataa||

3. paramahaMsayOgi viruddhaanaaM

bahu cha~nchalatara sukha siddhaanaam^|| sthirataa||

Copyright 2023 by the author

 

Modern Interpreters of Hindu Philosophy

Modern Interpreters of Hindu Faith

It is indeed a great privilege to write about the untiring advocates of the Hindu faith. Many a time an honest sincere interpreter of Sanatana Dharma will get only heaps of scorn or brickbats. It is a thankless job – assiduously going through thousands of pages of Sanskrit original texts and assimilating their true meaning and purport. A select few will gain the insight into these texts through the grace of a (the) Guru or Devi (Sri-Mata). Then one has to synthesize all the diverse canonical texts, the Puranas, Brahma-Sutras, Upanishads, the three epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Srimad-Bhagavatam) and countless commentaries. It is verily an impossible task and endless journey – not achievable in a lifetime. Often a lonely pursuit and if one is lucky, one at least encounters the Guru or (to put metaphorically) the light at the end of a tunnel! 

The Telugu land (particularly Andhra Pradesh) has over the centuries produced a number of first-rate original preceptors (including the Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna). We do not know why this piece of land (dirt) has produced exceptional music composers, Hindu philosophers, and saints. One cannot assert that it is due to any inherent goodness on the part of its inhabitants; perhaps Kanaka Durga and Balaji showered their choicest grace on this populace as an answer to their incessant daily prayers and to alleviate their mundane suffering. Who would have guessed Sri Ganapathi Muni, Trilinga Swamy, Sripada Srivallabha, and even J. Krishnamurti would be born in the same province (or geographical land mass)?

Now, I want to introduce Swami Medhananda-puri and Sri Shanmukha Sarma to the wider world. They are already known through the modern Internet, YouTube, and lots of video clips. I cannot really add anything to their well-established repute or credentials.

Sri Medhananda-puri is well versed in all the four languages: Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu, and English.  He is associated with the Kailash Ashram and gives discourses at the Bahamas retreat also. I am especially touched by his Telugu translation of the Kanakadhara Stotram. His discourses on Brahma-Sutras bring out the essence in all its purity and glory. So are his diligent elucidations of the Upanishads (ex: Mandukya) with line-by-line explanation and additional commentary. For the Hindi audiences as well as the Telugu populace the teacher is an invaluable gift. We should not be cavalierly carried away or get exulted by a few English-speaking Swamis or books in this area (of Brahma-vidya). The reason is simple: For many Sanskrit textual words there are no equivalents in English, ex: dharma, mukti, moksha, karma, Eswara, murti, etc. Usually a glossary is appended hurriedly to provide a rough idea to the non-vernacular, non-Sanskrit (foreign/Indian) reader. In addition to this rough translation we have the augmented noise (white noise) of wrong interpretation; incorrect interpretation also occurs when the proponent (expounder) has deep prejudices. Often the interpreter is not even aware of his (her) blinds or in-built biases. We find even in scientific fields there are individuals who hold irrational (erroneous) beliefs (ex: Shockley, Crick) – now what to speak of “Brahman”? Earlier times we had Sri Ramana, Sri Paramacharya, and many other acharyas who came to our rescue; they patiently showed us the validity of our Sastras and interpreted our scriptures like Gita in simple words. Paramacharya always blessed his audience and showed the way, coming down to the layperson’s level. Today we are extremely lucky to have several original interpreters of Hindu scriptures in the Telugu land. One would hope all the Telugu people take advantage of this unique historical opportunity. 

For the aspirant in this exploration there are a number of hurdles: Finding the right text, correct translation, and explanations. Then one has to self-study with patience. Still numerous doubts and troubles crop up in the path. Where would the enquirer turn to for help? Luckily the Kanchi Kamakoti site has some of the finest “Benediction Discourses” by Paramacharya. There we come across valuable advice and guidance. Sri Ramana (maharishi) reiterates many times thus: “Here, in this context and matter, what we have to do is this. Normally we accumulate knowledge and skills. But here we ‘dis-cover’; we remove the set of layered beliefs. Like peeling away the onion layers. The effulgent self needs no support, needs no further explanation or elaboration. So, all the books, scriptures, and commentaries merely give us a partial map to (towards) the truth. At one point even Sri Ramana agreed all this amounts to burdensome baggage – which eventually gets discarded (unloaded) on the way. So, one need not get discouraged by sheer ignorance or lack of scholarship!

Sri Shanmukha Sarma brings wit and acerbic humor to his discourses. But his respect, love, and care for the audience is boundless. Why would anyone travel thousands of miles and give extended discourses in USA? Why? Why would anyone miss the creature comforts and homely meals? All for imparting the essence of Bhagavad-Gita slokas? Sri Shanmukha Sarma is a devout Lalita devotee and an extraordinary lyrical poet. His songs on Siva are marvelous and they melt anyone who can fully understand Sanskrit and Telugu phrases. There are nine ways to pay our devotion to Narayana. One of the easiest methods is to patiently listen to the narration of Ramayana or Srimad-Bhagavatam. And then slowly meditate on the subtle message and meaning therein. In this present day we are lucky to have such extraordinary scholarly exponents in our midst. Many of the routine doubts get evaporated like the foggy curtain upon the first ray of sun! Sri Shanmukha Sarma can be called as the “great synthesizer” of Hindu thought. A thought, rather an insight so original, so ancient, so liberating, and so profound – it is worth meditating outside time. (Copyright 2023 by the author) 

"Sama gana lole" Song

Ragam: Hindolam

Talam: Rupaka

saamagaana lOlae salalita guNa dhyaanae aMba 

sOmabiMba vadanae nisseema mahima charaNae 

saamaja mRdu gadanae kaama daana nipuNae 

kOmalaaM(LaaM)gi kaamaeSvara vaamabhaaga sadanae 

naama (raama) bhajita saadhu jana paapakooTa madanae 

taamasaadi guNa kalpita taapatraya Samanae 

daevadayaa rasa poorita daama kamala nayanae   

साम गान लोले सललित गुण ध्याने अम्ब 

सोमबिम्ब वदने निस्सीम महिमा चरणे 

सामज मृदु गदने काम दान निपुणे 

कोमलङ्गि कामेश्वर वामभाग सदने 

नामभजित साधु जन पाप कूट मदने 

तामसादि गुण कल्पित तापत्रय शमने 

देवदया रस पूरित दाम कमल नयने   

సామగాన లోలే సలలిత గుణ ధ్యానే అంబ 

సోమబింబ వదనే నిస్సీమ మహిమ చరణే 

సామజ మృదు గదనే కామ దాన నిపుణే 

కోమలాం(ళాం)గి కామేశ్వర వామభాగ సదనే 

నామ (రామ) భజిత సాధు జన పాపకూట మదనే 

తామసాది గుణ కల్పిత తాపత్రయ శమనే 

దేవదయా రస పూరిత దామ కమల నయనే 

(I give the lyrics in Telugu and Sanskrit for the benefit of north and south Indian music fans. The transliteration (generated by Lekhini) in English will be of help to the modern person not fully conversant with the Indian languages. Sri G. N. Balasubramaniam was a musician's musician. He was a great composer too and his poetic genius shows up in his creations. I learnt this song from Smt. M. L. Vasantakumari, one of his brilliant disciples. If my memory is correct I remember one interesting fascinating fact about MLV - she rarely rehearsed songs before the public performances.

The reader can understand the meaning if she knows a bit of Sanskrit. For in-depth exploration one can seek the help of Sri Lalita Sahasranamam and its excellent commentaries. I'll give the audio links in a later update. Copyright 2023 by the author)

  

"ne pogada kunte" A Tyagaraja Kirtana

రాగం: దేశ్యాది తోడి 

తాళం :  ఝంప

నే పొగడ కుంటే నీ కేమి కొదవో? (వూ)

నీ మనసు తెలిసె గదరా ఓ రామ (శ్రీ రామ)

ప్రాపుగల శుక సనక ప్రహ్లాద నారద

పరమేశ రుద్రాది భక్తులర్చింపగ

భుజియింప బెట్ట సతి, బుధులు సామాజికులు 

భజియింప సోదరులు పవన సూను(డు)  -

డజ (అజ) బిడౌజాది సురలాప్తు లైనారు; నీ 

రజ నాయన శ్రీ త్యాగరాజానుత! బాలుడగు (నే)

raagaM: daeSyaadi tODi 

taaLaM :  jhaMpa

nae pogaDa kuMTae nee kaemi kodavO? (voo)

nee manasu telise gadaraa O raama (Sree raama)

praapugala Suka sanaka prahlaada naarada

paramaeSa rudraadi bhaktularchiMpaga

bhujiyiMpa beTTa sati, budhulu saamaajikulu 

bhajiyiMpa sOdarulu pavana soonu(Du)  -

Daja (aja) biDaujaadi suralaaptu lainaaru; nee 

raja naayana Sree tyaagaraajaanuta! baaluDagu (nae)

(I came to know about this kirtana from a cassette. Must have bought it either in Andhra Pradesh or in US. Dr. Balamuralikrishna gave a flawless rendition of every phrase. Here the composer is directly asking Sri Rama thus: "What do you lose if I don't praise You? Do you miss or lack anything due to my omission (of act)? You know very well the facts. The sages like Suka, Sanaka, Prahlada, Narada, etc., they all are extolling you. And Siva and Rudras are there too in the gathering." The next stanza becomes a bit complex to decipher, but we will explore the details later. Finally Tyagaraja says - "I am just a little boy compared to all other devotees". So, Rama, please disregard my faults. If I cannot attend to You, if I cannot sing and praise Your qualities - it's alright. There are thousands of celestials and sages who constantly sing melodious songs on You. I am just an insignificant entity in that august company!) 

Lyrics of "jnana mosaga rada"

జ్ఞాన మోసగ రాదా గరుడ గమన వాదా 

నీ నామమున నా మది నిర్మల మైనది 

పరమాత్ము౦డు జీవాత్ముండు పదు నాలుగు లోకములు 

నర కిన్నర కింపురుష  నారదాది మునులు 

పరిపూర్ణ నిష్కళంక నిరవధి సుఖ దాయక 

వర త్యాగరాజార్చిత వారము తాననే (జ్ఞానము)

రాగము: గమనశ్రమ

తాళము: రూపక  

j~naana mOsaga raadaa garuDa gamana vaadaa nee naamamuna naa madi nirmala mainadi paramaatmu~0Du jeevaatmuMDu padu naalugu lOkamulu nara kinnara kiMpurusha naaradaadi munulu paripoorNa nishkaLaMka niravadhi sukha daayaka vara tyaagaraajaarchita vaaramu taananae (j~naanamu) raagamu: gamanaSrama taaLamu: roopaka

[vadaa = the whirring sound. Luckily due to parents' blessings I got "the music rub" in the sinews. So, without listening to any singer I learned to sing this kirtana with perfect melody, myself. Here, the composer is asking for Sri Rama's grace (help). He says, "Why not bestow the supreme wisdom on us? Just by uttering (or hearing) your precious name my mind becomes clear, it gets uncluttered. Then Tyagayya enumerates a long list of "objects" including the sages like Narada, vina, and the fourteen worlds. (Narada and Tumbura are the great celestial singers.) Rama, you are the only one who can give us perfect, unblemished, and interminable happiness. Won't you give us the "wisdom" to recognize all the above entities as none other than Yourself (Rama)?"] Copyright 2022 by the author

 

A Look into the Family Tree

A Look into the Family Tree

(Meeting The Ancestors)

Recently I got a request to prepare a rough draft of our family tree. A nephew asked me for the tree to trace his father’s lineage. As I was going through the details I had to put together records from three or four diverse sources (original documents in mother tongue). Then as I was pouring over my attention I came across interesting facts. There were well-educated engineers (one held the position of Regional Engineer for the Indian Railway), a sub-Registrar (recorder of farm holdings and lands), a very erudite scholar of Vedas, and one very observant Hindu priest and a unique conductor of Vedic functions. I wondered what would they think of me? I wish I could speak with some of them; and converse about all sorts of things. How did they overcome their troubles? How did they survive through the lean years, through crop failures, sickness, etc.? 

We all may have close companions, spouses, relatives, and friends. With some we could open up and share intimate issues and life’s ordeals. Nobody’s life is perfect in this world. Even queens and royal members have problems. I read somewhere once a European queen was in distress during the First World War. She wanted her citizens be safe and out of mortal danger. All she could do was to pray on her knees. With our esteemed grand parents we could open up our hearts willingly without inhibitions. We could ask our grand mother her achievements, her failures, and her celebrations. 

While going through the family tree I came across a name that sent exhilaration through my body. My father is related to Sri S. Narayana. Once he visited our village on some errand and I vaguely remember his personality. He was impeccably dressed with polished shoes. Then very few people in the village would wear shoes; only our math teacher used to leisurely polish his brown shoes during weekends. Later our esteemed relative’s sons also visited us and stayed for a few days while attending to their farm affairs. In the village we knew very few details about Sri Narayana; he served as principal in Madras (Presidency College) and retired in Guntur. If I had gone with my mother to Vijayawada I too would have gotten a glimpse of this elderly scholar in his golden years. But it was not to be, alas; also I would not have appreciated such matters as I was too young, barely in my knickers, still struggling with basic algebra like (a+b) cubed. That’s how I came to know tit-bits of my distant relatives and our ancestry. Much of that legacy of memory got dusted and crusted in the layers of time. More or less I left it out in my native village. Father kept good contact with Sri Narayana’s sons and he attended his son’s marriage also. 

After many years I got interested in Srinivasa Ramanujan through an article in Scientific American. There was a renewed interest in his works (Lost Note Books) and with advances in Computer Science people started looking into pi (π). This writer is not into researches in advanced mathematics. There are many interesting results, formulae, and discoveries in Ramanujan's work. The infinite series 1+2+3+4+ ...... .... = -1/12 result really grabbed my attention. It has wonderful applications to physics and other fields. School children should be educated about these results; it does not matter whether young minds can grapple with such stupendous ideas. Such exposure to great minds and humble beginnings inspires everyone.

(This photo is from the Internet.)
 

Now we have the brute force of software to verify many of his formulae and identities. See the recent article in Wired magazine by Stephen Wolfram. This article tries to bring some cohesion and beauty to the great Indian mathematician’s achievements. For the layperson it is not easy to grasp the fine details of this rarefied field of higher math and number theory. They can still watch the English movie (The Man Who Knew Infinity) to get a foot in the door (of higher mathematics). 

For a long time there was only one portrait photo of S. Ramanujan (from his passport). This was taken after he got extremely weak with sickness. The sparkle in his eyes is hypnotic but there is the foreboding sense of early demise, of a life cut short due to undiagnosed illness coupled with poor nutrition (it was during the war time in England). The same photo adorned our college library on the Godavari banks. Then slowly after painful research and digging up the old university records they came up with several more B/W photographs. In one such photograph we find Mr. Narayana next to the legendary mathematician. So, that completed the circuitous connection of our family to the Royal Society Fellow, Ramanujan. My interest and enthusiasm for Ramanujan’s work has swelled up by leaps and bounds since then. I wish all the school children learn more of C V Raman, G N Ramachandran, Ramanujan, M. N. Saha, and other great modern Indian researchers; they worked mostly on the Indian soil and they toiled their entire lives with modest resources. It is a pity the outside world knows more of them than the average Indian citizen. There is some truth to the saying: “A prophet is never known in his homeland (sic)”.

I would be amiss if I do not say a word about our great grand mothers and grand mothers. They transmitted to us the fine culture, Telugu music, and great culinary talents. Without their boundless love where would we be? In the hot humid mosquito ridden and disease prone coastal lands, many generations would have been lost. It was our ancestors’ love and blessings that gave us our health, intelligence, and prosperity. I learnt a lot by looking at our family tree. May I conclude that our forefathers would always inspire and guide me in every endeavor. Copyright 2022 by the author